For Kent Rochester, virtual fencing technology has made his job farming cattle a whole lot easier.
The technology allows livestock to be moved or confined without the need for physical fences or gates.
After a farming accident more than 20 years ago, Mr Rochester was left quadriplegic, but it has not stopped him from running a cattle farming operation at Manypeaks, about 440 kilometres south of Perth.
Back in the day he said running a farm from his wheelchair was frustrating at times, but after making some adjustments he has gotten used to it.
“I set up a ute that I just about live in, set it up with hand controls, and I built a bit of a lift thing that’s in my toolbox to get me in and out of the car,” he said.
“So where we’ve just driven to now the ‘gates’ are all open, we can just drive in.
“I can check the cows and shift them, see what their grass and their residuals are like from their grazing, and manage it without any extra help.
“It is a bit unique to my situation, but it works awesome.”
How does the tech work?
To create the virtual fences cattle wear a solar-powered, GPS-enabled collar that allows livestock to be tracked and moved around the farm from software on a smartphone or tablet.
The collar, which each cost $350, beeps as the animal approaches an invisible fence.
If the animal continues to walk further past the boundary line the collar will discharge a minor electric shock.
It takes 7 to 10 days for the cattle to learn what the signals mean when the collars are initially fitted, eventually recognising the beep and stop pushing past the boundary — avoiding getting a zap altogether.
Each collar costs around $350, with additional subscription fees required to use the software. (ABC Rural: Georgia Hargreaves)
Mr Rochester said one of the major benefits of the virtual fencing was that his cattle were always eating fresh grass and could be contained in a small area, meaning they burned less energy.
“They are gaining more weight using less grass,” he said.
“We can put in as many little breaks and move them up, up to 10 times a day if we want to, giving them another two metres of grass every couple of hours.
“It can get really quite efficient.”
The software allows Mr Rochester to monitor his livestock and adjust the virtual fence boundary from afar. (ABC Rural: Georgia Hargreaves)
Adoption of tech in WA
Australian brand eShepherd is the only virtual fencing technology approved in WA after trials started in 2021.
The company’s business development manager Mark Dempsey said the technology also reduced the cost of fencing and labour.
“Fencing, labour, and materials can be anywhere from eight to twelve thousand dollars per kilometre now, so investing that money into a flexible approach is proving quite popular — and it’s only growing,” he said.
“I think over the next 3 to 5 years we’re going to see a huge shift away from physical fences.”
Mr Dempsey said the electric shock administered to the animal when it crossed the boundary was about the third of the intensity of a standard electric fence shock.
Animal welfare concerns
The company’s website states that its eShepherd collar technology was developed “with animal health and wellbeing at the forefront of all design decisions”.
However, the RSPCA WA has raised concerns about the intensity of the electric pulse and the potential for long-term effects on the animals.
Senior scientific officer at RSPCA Australia, Dr Natalie Roadknight, said the impact of electric fences and these collars could not be compared directly.
“It’s a different delivery system — an electric fence is something the animal can move away from,” she said.
“Whereas with a virtual fencing collar the animal can’t get away from it, and the device that is delivering the shock is worn all the time.”
Dr Natalie Roadnight says the RSPCA is concerned about the potential impact of the collars. (Supplied)
Dr Roadknight said the RSPCA believed the current regulation around this technology in Australia was insufficient.
“If it was going to be developed further we would certainly like to see some really good regulation around it,” she said.
The use of virtual fencing is governed by the Animal Welfare Act 2022 which prohibits the use of virtual fencing devices unless they have been assessed and approved for use by an amendment to the General Regulations.
A spokesperson for the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development told the ABC that it was “working with other states and territories to develop an Australian Animal Welfare Guide for virtual fencing to harmonise regulation across the country and ensure good animal welfare outcomes”.
Virtual fencing is also commercially available in Queensland, NT, and Tasmania, with a wider range of brands on the market.
